—Claims the ABC was better at tackling the problem
Moroke Sekoboto
ALL Basotho Convention (ABC) leader, Nkaku Kabi, has expressed grave concern over the escalating youth unemployment crisis in Lesotho and attacked the government for “doing very little” to address the problem.
While past ABC led coalitions had been better at tackling youth unemployment, Prime Minister Sam Matekane’s Revolution for Prosperity (RFP) led administration was absolutely clueless, Mr Kabi claimed.
Not only had the RFP failed to fulfil its grandiose promises to all Basotho, it had particularly failed the youths who had catapulted it to power, he said.
Mr Kabi made the remarks at a party rally at Mahobong, Leribe, on Sunday, where he emphasized the urgent need for government action to address the dire employment situation.
“Despite the many promises made during the 2022 elections, the youth of Lesotho remain in peril, facing a future filled with uncertainty and hopelessness,” Mr Kabi said.
“The foundation of our politics is rooted in slavery and exploitation, and yet we have not learned from our past. Our mineral wealth has not translated into prosperity for our people, especially the youth who are our future.”
Highlighting the struggles faced by young people seeking employment, Mr Kabi pointed to a recent recruitment event for the Lesotho Defence Force (LDF) where over 10,000 youths showed up in Maseru while thousands more did the same across Lesotho’s ten districts, hoping to secure one of just 500 available positions as soldiers.
“This turnout underscores the severity of the crisis we are facing. It’s a stark reminder that African politics can be unforgiving, and we owe it to our young people to create better opportunities,” Mr Kabi said.
During her 2025-2026 annual budget speech presentation in Parliament on 19th February this year, Minister of Finance and Development Planning, Dr Retṧelisitsoe Matlanyane, said 38 percent of Basotho youth were unemployed with females bearing the biggest brunt.
Her statement highlighted the significant challenge of youth unemployment in Lesotho, particularly its disproportionate impact on women.
Mr Kabi claimed that youth unemployment had been better during the period of coalitions led by his ABC between 2012-2015 and 2017-2020.
He said the ABC had launched “successful initiatives” such as block farming, which he claimed had not only alleviated poverty but also created “numerous” jobs.
He also reminisced about ex-Premier Thabane’s government’s success in convincing textile industry owners to increase wages from M1, 500 for the lowest paid to more than M2000.
“When we were in power, we raised factory workers’ wages and prioritized agriculture. We need to remember that agriculture can provide lasting solutions to our employment crisis,” Mr Kabi said.
Sadly, Mr Kabi said, the future of Lesotho’s textile industry, which employs 31,000 workers, now looks bleak after the US government’s decision to nullify the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA).
Adding to Lesotho’s economic woes are the 50 percent reciprocal tariffs on Lesotho’s exports to the US, which will effectively kill the textiles industry.
The government has tried but seemingly failed hitherto to secure a meeting to negotiate the tariffs due to kick in after the expiry of a three-month moratorium in July.
Mr Kabi mockingly claimed that while the RFP had failed to deliver on its promises, “the ABC has a proven track record of effective governance”.
He also attacked Mr Matekane and his allies of concentrating on lining their pockets instead of fulfilling their promised mandate.
“We see our leaders being more focused on personal gain rather than on the welfare of the people. The promises made to the youth during the electoral campaign have not been realized, and we cannot sit idly by while our young people suffer,” Mr Kabi said.
Therefore, Mr Kabi called for collaborative efforts across all sectors of society to tackle youth unemployment, suggesting that land resources should be redirected for agricultural use rather than housing.
Mr Kabi said that across Lesotho, Basotho who rely on agriculture were increasingly selling their land to property developers. This trend is gradually diminishing the country’s limited arable land, which makes up only 11 percent of Lesotho’s total land area, he added.
The primary driver behind this shift is widespread poverty among Basotho who, faced with economic hardship, were opting to sell their agricultural land rather than sustaining their traditional farming activities, he said.
As more arable land is converted for development, Lesotho’s ability to produce its own food supplies is being significantly reduced.
“We need to be forward-thinking. Our land is underutilized, and it has the potential to solve the unemployment crisis if we approach it with the right mindset,” Mr Kabi argued.
Mr Kabi proposed the establishment of a forum where experts can discuss innovative solutions for youth employment.
He also urged the government to allocate M20 million from each ministry towards youth job creation initiatives, insisting that meaningful dialogue is necessary for progress.
“It is time for Mr Matekane and his government to open their ears and their hearts to the plight of our youth,” the ABC leader said.
